Fireproof door.



J. A. WHEELER.

FIREPEOOF DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1911.

iwi/ memes Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

.F iig Z JAMES A. WHEELER, OF SOMERSET COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

rmnraoor noon. i

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

Application filed June 14, 1911. Serial No. 633,113.

T 0 alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMns A. W EELER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the county of Somerset and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fireproof Doors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fireproof doors, and it has for itsobject to provide a simple and improved door of this character which can be readily and inexpensively manufactured and which will possess advantages in point of durability, rigidity of structure, strength, lightness, resistance to fire, effectiveness and general efficiency.

In the drawingsFigure 1 is a face or plan view of a portion of adoor embodying my improvements, part of the facing members being broken away to show the interior construction. Fig. 2 is a detail crosssection on the line m-m of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail cross-section on the line y-y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail cross-section on the line ez of Fig. 1 showing one of the screw sockets.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are 7 denoted by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the framework of the door, which consists of laminated alternate bars or strips of fireproof material and wood. This framework is preferably in general of rectangular form, constituting frame sections surrounding the panel portions of the door. For instance, the framework may comprise a main frame extending entirely around the rectangular outline of the door at the outer edge portions thereof, and cross frame sections extending between the side portions of said mainframe and dividing the door into the desired panel sections. The fireproof bars or strips comprised in the framework are formed of a rigid non-metallic composition undeformable by heat, and I prefer to use for this purpose the composition which is commercially known as alignum and which is constituted by a suitable filler in cluding asbestos and combined with a fireproof binder to produce a plastic substance which is molded into shape and compressed and dried in a rigid structure. The alternate laminated arrangement is such that the fireproof bars or strips, shown at 2, inclose or cover the opposite surfaces of the intermediate wood bars or strips, shown at 3. It

will be understood that, within the scope of my invention, the construction is not restricted to the employment of wood for the inclosed strips 3, but that any other suit-able analogous material may be used.

In the preferred arrangement, as herein shown, the sections of the framework 1 em body first an outer bar or strip 2 of fireproof material, within which extends a wood bar or strip 3, another strip 2 of fireproof material being placed to extend against the opposite side of said wood strip 3. Againstsaid last named strip 2 of fireproof material another wood strip 3 extends, and against the latter another strip 2 of fireproof material extends, and so on until the desired width of the sections of the framework is produced by the laminated and alternated strips 2 and 3. In practice,-a lamination consisting of four wood strips 3 and five fireproof strips 2 will generally afford the desired width for the sections of the frame work 1, and preferably the wood strips are of greater width than the fireproof strips, it being only necessary to interpose thin fireproof strips between the wood strips to insure the fireproof protection of the latter. I t all adjoining surfaces of the laminated strips 2 and 3, the strips are adhesively secured in connection by glue or any other suitable adhesive material, as shown at 4.

At opposite sides of the sections of the framework 1 are provided plates or sheets of fireproof material, corresponding to the fireproof character of the strips 2, and likewise formed of a rigid non-metallic composition undeformable by heat, and these sheets 5 cover the entire outer faces of the sections of the framework 1 at opposite sides. Those sides of the wood strips 3 of the laminated framework which are not covered and inclosed by the intervening fireproof strips 2 are thus covered and inclosed by the outer fireproof sheets 5, so that the wood strips 3 are entirely inclosed at all sides by the fireproof material constituting the intervening strips 2 and the side sheets 5 of the framework 1. The inner faces of the side sheets 5 which respectively extend over the opposite sides of the laminated main frame 1 are adhesively secured to the latter by glue or other suitable adhesive substance extending over the adjoining surfaces, as at 7.

v To afford greater strength and enhance '55 the panel section,

the resistance of the door structure to warping or strain in any direction, the sidesheets are also preferably directly and securely fastened to the laminated framework 1, by 5 means of screws or other suitable fastening devices. .In the preferred construction for this purpose, the Wood strips 3 are provided at suitable points With metallic threaded sockets, 9, which receive screws, 10, passing through openings, 11, provided in the side sheets 5 and preferably countersunk to accommodate the screw heads. The metallic sockets 9 preferably extend entirely through the wood strip 3, on a plane transversely of the framework 1, so that they receive in their opposite ends the screws entering from the side sheets 5 at the respective opposite sides of the door, though if desired separate metallic sockets ma of course be employed '20 at opposite sides 0 the wood strips 3. In

practice, the metallic sockets 9 may be simply driven in bores or openings provided in the wood strips 3, and the sockets are preferably provided with lateral flanges or webs, as at 12, which enterthe sides of said bores and operate to retain the socket piece 9 in position and against turning under the screw action.

The cross sections, 14, of the framework 1, which extend between the sections of the framework at the outer edge portions of the door and divide the latter into the panel sections, constitute cross braces in the general framework of the door structure,

whereby the strength of the latter is enhanced, and it will cross sect-ions 14 correspond in laminated construction torthe other sections of the framework.

The panel sections, 15, which are surrounded by the sections of thelaminated framework 1 are constituted by fireproof plates or sheets, as at 16, which in their composition preferably correspond to the 4 side plates or sheets 5 of the laminated framework. These fireproof sheets 16 thus form the panel sections of the door, and 1 preferably employ two of such sheets, or a plurality thereof, to form the panel section,

as herein shown, said sheets being adhesively secured together at the area of their opposing faces by glue, as at 17, or other suitable adhesive material. The outer edges, of the fireproof sheets 16 constituting are received by corresponding recesses, as at 18, formed in the inner edges of the laminated frame sections which surround said panel section, and are adhesively secured, as at 19, in said recesses.

76f) Thus the fireproof panel sheets 16 are firmly secured in position by the surrounding laminated framework; 'The panel sheets 16 may be suitably ornamented at their exterior surfaces, if desired, and molding strips, as at 20, are preferably be understood that these secured in the angle formed by the panel sheets and the inner edge of the surrounding laminated frame sections, at opposite sides of the door at'the point of connection between the panel sheets and the laminated frame. These moldings 20 produce an ornamental panel finish, and may be adhesively secured, as at 21, to the adjoining surfaces of the panel sheets and laminated frame, or they may be otherwise secured by any suitable fastening means. The molding strips are preferably of fireproof material, corresponding in composition to the fireproof panel sheets, but they may be of any other suitable substance if preferred.

The exterior surface of the improved door as above described may, if' desired, be covered or finished with thin sheets of "veneering adhesivelyor otherwise secured to the surface of the fireproof sheets 2 and 16, as comprised in my co-pending application for patent, Serial No. 632,105, filed June 9, 1911. r

From the foregoing description, itwill be understood that my improved fireproof door structure provides a simple and inexpensive construction which, while exceedingly light, insures extreme rigidity; and strength as well as durability and resistance to, fire. The improved construction enables the employinent, as the main element of construction, of strips of wood or other combustible material, the latter being so laminated with the fireproof strips 2 and entirely inclosed at all sides by said strips 2 and by the fireproof side sheets 5' that the wood strips are entirely protected against the action of fire, it being understood that under action of extreme heat the inclosed wood strips could not burn, because of the surrounding fireproof material, which is rigid and non-metallic and undeformable by heat and at most would only char under high temperature,

and that therefore the door structure is A maintained and will not break down under the action of heat.

The improved construction, combining the laminated framework surrounding the panel sections with the fireproof panel sheets-16 set in recesses in said laminated frame and in themselves constituting the panel sections of the door, produces an exceedingly light and inexpensive structure in which the main body thickness is constituted only by the laminated frame sections. 7

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the detail construction and arrangement of parts as herein shown and described, as it is manifest that variations and modifications therein may be resorted to, in the adaptation of my invention to varying conditions of use, without departing from the spirit and scope of my inven tion and improvements. I therefore reserve the right to all such variations and modifications as properly fall within the scope of my invention and the terms of the following claim. j

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

An improved fireproof door, comprising panels constituted by the plates 16 formed of a rigid non-metallic composition, undeformable by heat and the framework 1 surrounding said panels and inclosing the edge thereof and constituting the edge-portion of the door, said surrounding frame having a core or main portion receiving the edges of said panels and formed of the laminated and alternated bars-3 of Wood or combustible material and the bars 2 formed of a rigid non-metallic composition, undeformable by heat and said laminated combustible and non-combustible bars extending parallel with the edges of said panels and being adhesively secured together at their opposing surfaces side by side in a rigid homogeneous structure, and the side plates 5 formed of a rigid non-metallic composition undeform-- able by heat and secured to said laminated core or main portion, said side plates extending over the entire outer opposite faces of said laminated core or main portion of said edge frame surrounding the panel plates, whereby said bars 2 and side plates 5 of said surrounding frame conjointly inclose and cover all the surfaces of said combustible bars 3, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in the presence of the subscribing wltnesses.

JAMES A. WHEELER.

Witnesses: i CHARLES A. TAUSSIG,

BEssm COSTIGAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

